Unmissable Festival Acts
Hundreds of festivals. Thousands of set times. One summer. Seven unmissable acts.
Innervisions
Dixon and Âme's crew are set for their biggest summer so far
Starting out as a sub-label to Sónar Kollektiv in 2005, Innervisions was founded by Steffen Berkahn (Dixon), Kristian Beyer and Frank Wiedemann (collectively known as production duo, Âme) who used to play together at a night called Innercity. Over time, the label has grown to become one of the most respected in electronic music, widely extolled for its refined releases by an exclusive crop of artists, including Château Flight, Culoe de Song, Henrik Schwarz and Recondite, and famed for its beautifully curated and flawlessly executed house and techno DJ/Live sets.
This year looks set to be another busy one for the label, as Dixon, Beyer, Wiedemann and friends combine large-scale festival performances at SW4 and Love Saves the Day with smaller club shows at venues including Robert Johnson (Frankfurt), Sub-Club (Glasgow) and the home of hedonism itself: Panorama Bar, Berlin. "I think it is a strength that we can play to a bigger, more commercial crowd and our sound still works," says Beyer. "But we want to play these small venues so we don't lose touch with our fan base," he adds. "These sets are our passion because we have close contact with the crowd and we do not have to compress the story we are telling."
As becomes clear, the idea of an extended set is something that particularly appeals to Beyer and co. "A (DJ set) must be a journey," he explains. "In the nineties it was the same DJ playing the whole night, and this is what we like. This time allows us to express ourselves, starting low, hitting the peaks and then bringing people down again," he adds, before explaining that this also allows him to read the crowd. "You have to see what you can do to bring them to a point. You can always do it, but sometimes you have to try other ways," he explains.
"Steffen and I recently did fourteen hours in Panorama bar and we didn't play our best material until ten in the morning! We laughed and said, 'Fucking hell, we've waited ten hours to play these tunes!' But the reaction was even more crazy than normal because everyone expected them but they had to wait!"
And the success of the Innervisions brand is no coincidence: ever since its inception, the label has maintained the highest standards. Releases, all of which are individually numbered, rarely exceed six per year, and "we invest a great deal of time in finding new music to keep our sets fresh and interesting," says Beyer. "We do have network of friends who all share new music that we find, but I am always record hunting online and in record stores," he adds. "We are never satisfied. Although we have a great night and can see the reaction of the crowd, we are constantly looking to push the boundaries."
But beyond the festivals and club shows, perhaps the most exciting event on the Innervisions 2015 calendar is Lost In A Moment, a series of intimate label show-case parties held at "small and unique" venues that haven't been used for music before. "We like it when people don't know the venue so they get there and are amazed."
This year, parties will be held in an abandoned castle in Naples (Mostra d'Oltremare Laghetto di Fasilides) and a 100-year-old fortress in Amsterdam (Forteiland Pampus). "We have a very busy summer but I can't wait for 'Lost In A Moment," says Beyer. "We bring the best lighting guys from Berghain and use a special stage design to ensure we can really connect with the people." We can't wait either.
Catch AME, Dixon, Henrik Schwarz or all three here: Independence (Torino, Italy, April 24), The Garden Party (UK, May 3), Lost In A Moment Naples (May 10), Soenda Festival (Netherlands, May 16), Love Saves The Day (UK, May 23), Shindig/XXIII Shindig Festival (UK, May 23), Primavera Sound (Spain, May 27) Berlin Festival (Germany, May 30) Detonate (UK, May 30), WE ARE FSTVL (UK, May 31) Plissken Festival (Greece, June 5), Parklife (UK, June 6), Sun Moon Festival (Germany, June 6), Flow Festival (Slovenia June 26), Roskilde (Denmark, June 27), Exit (Serbia, July 9), T In The Park (UK, July 10), Farr Festival (UK July 16), The Bay Festival (France, July 24), Dekmantel Festival (Netherlands, July 30), Into the Valley Festival (Sweden, July 31), Neopop Festival (Portugal, August 12), Utopia Island Festival (Germany, August 13), Sonus Festival (Croatia, August 16), SW4 (UK, August 29), Oasis Festival (Morocco, September 11)
[Words: William Ralston/ Photo: Paul Kelley
